“120 villas built by the sea, right behind the Pirou-range market. A big project with luxury hotel-restaurant, swimming pool and all the kit. Yes, the guy behind the project still works, no one knows where. A buddy and Bouygues company. One that had the banks behind him and who assured to have the building permit, told the site to a guy. The houses were sold in packs of 3. He had to pay a catch . Cheap because compliance remains the responsibility of the buyers. A site delivered in record time, 6 months. They had the pressure. 120 houses completed, without connection to the road, or electricity, or at all at the sewer, just laid on the sand. The building permit was eventually denied. There are plenty of local artisans who went bankrupt. They have never been paid. They came to recover what they could. When it became known, the locals have gotten in too. The cops are installed at the roundabout at the entrance of Pirou to stop cars with trailers and force them to return the materials where they had taken. […] And it is not finished. The trial is still ongoing. The town bought the houses as you try to compensate owners. 80 at last count. But it’s worth nothing. “ -Irène Bec